Tag Archive

I run the classic “kid” barn. On any day after school, it’s hard to count how many kids are hanging out working with horses and just being kids. Phones come out and snap a quick pic but devices are not occupying their time. When I walk back to the barn in between lessons I often take a quick assessment of …

The most impressive riders usually look as though they are doing nothing at all. Their bodies are quiet and it appears as though their horse moves magically underneath them. When I admire a rider, I look closely at how they communicate effectively without excessive body movement. The best riders have control of every part of their body without looking stiff …

Loping a circle is a very important warm up exercise for your horse. I’m sure I have loped enough circles in my life to go around the world. When we lope horses it is to help them be more focused, relaxed and ready for the job ahead. Last night in my lessons we looked at each rider’s level of relaxed …

My riding space is my artistic canvas. I like trail riding but I rarely choose to make time for it. I love working in riding spaces that have boundaries. I love to perfect my riding and my horse’s responsiveness and action in either a round pen or riding arena. I’m lucky to have both rounds pens and arenas to choose …

This week I’m highlighting one of my most popular lessons available on YouTube. Almost 200,000 people have viewed the lesson titled Seat and Legs. My YouTube subscribers report that this lesson has really helped them build a solid riding foundation. This lesson teaches horseback riders how to correctly position their lower body while riding. Seat and Legs is just one of my …

I had a few minutes in my dressage lesson when I was doubting this fact. Everyone that knows me knows that I am rather obsessed with safety and going fast on a horse. How those things go together is still a mystery to many, especially my family. Lets face it, I am 57 (proud of it too), I like team …

My featured lesson this week teaches you how to back up your horse . Backing up a horse can be really complicated. If your horse is trained to back up well, and you still have trouble with this skill, then this lesson is for you. To cue your horse for a smooth straight back up, you must apply the …

I have a new adult student named Joy. She arrived for her first riding lesson wide eyed and exploding with horse excitement, a true kid at heart. We all make first impressions and I always hope that I make a great first impression and will be a good fit for my new students…I want to fulfill every kids’ dream, young …

Training tips for horses and riders: Developing your seat is a life long endeavor. Many of my students find it really hard to relax their back and let their seat follow the movement of the horse. Stiffening through your seat is a common problem and really hard to fix. A very funny saying came from one of my students and …

Horseback riding lesson 2 is a more challenging lesson for beginners who have experience riding and feel confident at the walk and jog. I hope many of you have tried riding to one of my lessons. I was teaching my student, Kaci, last night, and she said she rode to lesson 1 during a practice session on her horse Smarty. …